So I got a big itch to start sailing and decided to try to find a good sailboat to get back into sailing. I have a tiny bit of experience, but nothing much. After lots of looking I found someone selling a Hobie Getaway at a price I could afford. The boat does appear to be in pretty good shape but they did have it stored in the open sun and in the water. So there seems to be some UV damage and marine growth. I have a feeling I will get it out in the water to sail regardless, but I know I need to address these things sooner than later. I was hoping someone may have some time to answer some of my questions. Ok here goes.

1. Marine growth on hulls: The hulls were basically green. The bottoms are covered in growth. My pressure washer set to the lower car setting cleaned the tops off to a perfect white. It got a lot of the bigger bits of growth off but didn't get the water line or green from the lower half. I managed to get the water line with a magic eraser, but could only get the green off the plastic bottoms with a brush and soap and hours of scrubbing. I only managed to get part of one side finished.. Is there any quicker way to do this? I found lots of videos of people cleaning fiberglass with chemicals and various things, but not plastic.

2. Taking care of the hulls: Should I apply anything to help protect them from UV and growth?

3. Possible fracture in one hull. There is a very faint dark line that appears to be a crack in the top of the hull running down the hull about mid way down the boat under the bench. It's maybe 8 inches long or so. There really isn't anything nearby it. I put pressure on it and it seems fine and not weak, it also doesn't seem to split or act like a crack, but I didn't want to ignore it incase there was something I could do.

4. Rudders: They are stained and look bad. Pressure washer did little to them. I don't have polishing tools or anything like that, so would it be wise to just take them to a marina that does repairs to try to restore them? Can I just buy a polish and sponge and go to town on them?

5. Front tramp: I ended up stepping right through the front tramp.. I think the UV rays got to it. I found some replacements like this one. I just wonder, are people generally happy with the replacement tramps that are the black fine fabric like the linked tramp? I kinda like the idea of the open net or original one that is soft looking and open enough to kinda see the water. However I think the cost is steering me to the black fine mesh tramp.

6. Mast: The mast has just a couple of nicks in it that are shiny instead of black like the rest of the mast. Should I paint the nicks, if so, what paint do you recommend? Lastly, the top 5 feet of the mast seems to transition to a different material then the rest of the entire mast. What is that section for? On my mast, it's seeming to peel and crack there and looks like it could use some attention. Should I take the mast to a sailboat place to fix that or is that something that can be DIY? I'm not even sure what is going on there, so I have a feeling I may seek professional help.

7. Rear tramp: Should I apply anything to the original tramp to help keep it nice from just regular use? I plan to trailer the boat after each use so it will be covered when not sailing, but I just wonder about any general upkeep on it.

8. Trailer: I found a Hobie trailer with flat rollers on it. I need to adjust the rollers in a few inchs and the Getaway will fit just fine, but I do need to replace the rollers. Should I just put on some new flat rollers or would it be better to use keel rollers? I just wonder if a different roller would be better for the narrow hulls of the Getaway.

9. Stowing Mast: The trailer has a basic V shape stop to hold the mast at the front of the trailer, but I don't have anything to hold the mast as the rear. I thought about making something for the back of the getaway but I just wonder if there is already something available. I will be trailering it each time, so hopefully there is something light and easy to install that I can use. I thought about maybe just a cross bar to set on the benches to rest the mast on.

10. Replacing ropes: This is low priority, but the main halyard rope and the rope that winds the jib up are rotten and stiff. I think the jib rope is just a thin nylon rope that shouldn't be hard to replace, but I wonder how hard it is to replace the halyard rope.

Wow, that turned out to be more than I thought. Well thank you so very much for reading my post. If you have any advice or tips that may help me with bringing my new boat back into shape I would love to hear it. I imagine I'll be sailing before long but I want to try to tackle some of this stuff soon! Thank you again for reading.

Replace the shrouds!Both side shrouds, the front one for the jib and the two little ones that attach the front shroud to the cross bar.Unless they are brand new with a receipt for purchase, REPLACE the shrouds!

The boat sounds somewhat neglected. If a shroud breaks, the mast comes down. On you. On a friend. On a child.Replace the shrouds!

The mast is sectioned off in 2 parts, due to an all aluminum mast conducting electricity and people getting electrocuted while stepping their mast near power lines. Not sure what material the top section is made from (I think it's fiberglass).

You can get a mast cradle for the lower part of the mast to tie it down to the aft crossbar, that way it won't slide around during transport. The Hobie catalog has all those gadgets.

Sounds like your boat has been to hell and back, but that might be a good thing. I am sure you got a good price and you don't have to worry about abusing it more, because how could it look any worse? And, if you start replacing parts it will keep looking better and better.

Congrats on your Hobie Getaway - after years (and years) of sailing fiberglass Hobies, I recently switched to a Getaway. Mine had sat for years in the elements on a lift growing all sorts of green stuff, so I went thru some of the same fun you describe. Here are some thoughts on your questions:

1. Marine growth on hulls: The hulls were basically green. The bottoms are covered in growth. My pressure washer set to the lower car setting cleaned the tops off to a perfect white. It got a lot of the bigger bits of growth off but didn't get the water line or green from the lower half. I managed to get the water line with a magic eraser, but could only get the green off the plastic bottoms with a brush and soap and hours of scrubbing. I only managed to get part of one side finished.. Is there any quicker way to do this? I found lots of videos of people cleaning fiberglass with chemicals and various things, but not plastic.

I found that Oxyclean worked pretty well on getting the green on, without damaging the hulls. I hear regular bleach will too - but didn't try it. I've heard you definitely want to stay away from things like acetone, as they will melt the plastic.

2. Taking care of the hulls: Should I apply anything to help protect them from UV and growth?

I think basic care will keep you ahead of the growth. There are UV protectorant sprays, but I don't bother.

3. Possible fracture in one hull. There is a very faint dark line that appears to be a crack in the top of the hull running down the hull about mid way down the boat under the bench. It's maybe 8 inches long or so. There really isn't anything nearby it. I put pressure on it and it seems fine and not weak, it also doesn't seem to split or act like a crack, but I didn't want to ignore it incase there was something I could do.

Maybe post some pics?

4. Rudders: They are stained and look bad. Pressure washer did little to them. I don't have polishing tools or anything like that, so would it be wise to just take them to a marina that does repairs to try to restore them? Can I just buy a polish and sponge and go to town on them?

Sand 'em. If they are really bad, start with a medium grit (maybe 150) then finish with a fine grit (maybe 250 or 400). Mine were gross, and 30 minutes each had em looking brand new.

5. Front tramp: I ended up stepping right through the front tramp.. I think the UV rays got to it. I found some replacements like this one. I just wonder, are people generally happy with the replacement tramps that are the black fine fabric like the linked tramp? I kinda like the idea of the open net or original one that is soft looking and open enough to kinda see the water. However I think the cost is steering me to the black fine mesh tramp.

I replaced my front tramp thru the folks at TampaCatamarans.com and have been very happy with it. It is a two piece rather than a 1 piece like the Hobie OEM, but I like having the lacings to lash things to. Be sure to tell them your Getaway model year - it makes a difference in terms of the bolt ropes.

6. Mast: The mast has just a couple of nicks in it that are shiny instead of black like the rest of the mast. Should I paint the nicks, if so, what paint do you recommend? Lastly, the top 5 feet of the mast seems to transition to a different material then the rest of the entire mast. What is that section for? On my mast, it's seeming to peel and crack there and looks like it could use some attention. Should I take the mast to a sailboat place to fix that or is that something that can be DIY? I'm not even sure what is going on there, so I have a feeling I may seek professional help.

again, pictures or have someone take a look at it.

7. Rear tramp: Should I apply anything to the original tramp to help keep it nice from just regular use? I plan to trailer the boat after each use so it will be covered when not sailing, but I just wonder about any general upkeep on it.

again, there are uv protectors available, but I dont' bother. I doubt the spray stick very well given the amount of water that gets splashed through. You might just want to replace the tramp, third party tramps are less than $300.

8. Trailer: I found a Hobie trailer with flat rollers on it. I need to adjust the rollers in a few inchs and the Getaway will fit just fine, but I do need to replace the rollers. Should I just put on some new flat rollers or would it be better to use keel rollers? I just wonder if a different roller would be better for the narrow hulls of the Getaway.

I personally use carpeted flat supports to spread the load. The back of the boat where there is a rudimentary keel tends to dent if there is a concentrated load in one spot. If you do go with rollers, I'd at least use doubles.

9. Stowing Mast: The trailer has a basic V shape stop to hold the mast at the front of the trailer, but I don't have anything to hold the mast as the rear. I thought about making something for the back of the getaway but I just wonder if there is already something available. I will be trailering it each time, so hopefully there is something light and easy to install that I can use. I thought about maybe just a cross bar to set on the benches to rest the mast on.

I personally just use an old towel as padding and lash directly to the back crossbar. This is only an option if you remove the rudders when trailering, else the tiller cross bar will be in the way.

10. Replacing ropes: This is low priority, but the main halyard rope and the rope that winds the jib up are rotten and stiff. I think the jib rope is just a thin nylon rope that shouldn't be hard to replace, but I wonder how hard it is to replace the halyard rope.

I think you pretty much have to use the hobie part if you replace the halyard, as it needs to have the wire and slug at the top. I think you are looking at 80 or 100 bucks.

10. Replacing ropes: This is low priority, but the main halyard rope and the rope that winds the jib up are rotten and stiff. I think the jib rope is just a thin nylon rope that shouldn't be hard to replace, but I wonder how hard it is to replace the halyard rope.

I think you pretty much have to use the hobie part if you replace the halyard, as it needs to have the wire and slug at the top. I think you are looking at 80 or 100 bucks.

The halyard can be repaired without replacing the wire or swaged slug, just install a new line.

John, can you go into more detail on repairing the main halyard? Mine is fraying where it rubs on the mast fork, and I am looking at spending $70 to replace a perfectly good line that is just frayed in one spot. I was wondering if it could be repaired.

John, can you go into more detail on repairing the main halyard? Mine is fraying where it rubs on the mast fork, and I am looking at spending $70 to replace a perfectly good line that is just frayed in one spot. I was wondering if it could be repaired.

Sorry for the delayed response. Replacing the halyard line would be more accurate than repairing it.

John, can you go into more detail on repairing the main halyard? Mine is fraying where it rubs on the mast fork, and I am looking at spending $70 to replace a perfectly good line that is just frayed in one spot. I was wondering if it could be repaired.

Why is it fraying? The rope part of the halyard should not be rubbing on the hook/fork. The fork is to hold the stop at the end of the wire part of the halyard. There is never any load on the rope part of the halyard after the sail is up.

If you don't have a halyard with a wire end and a stop you need to buy one.

If you sand the rudders, you need to polish them to 600 or 1200 grit. A polished finish is critical to sailing enjoyment on a Hobie (or any other fast boat). It is not possible to have too smooth a finish on the rudders. If you have the time 2000 grit then rubbing compound then wax. Seriously. Once you have the rudders as slick as you can make them, keep them covered and protected from scratches and dings.